Posts by misguided

62

Could we be right, and they be right too?

by JH in

jw
friends

is it possible that just about everything we say about the jw's on this forum is true, but on the other hand they would be the only true religion that god approves, even though they are imperfect and make errors?

misguided

I sometimes ask this question myself, too. I think it's a valid and common question for those who have been where we have.

I've sometimes used the Heaven's Gate cult mass suicide to reason this one out to myself.

The Hale Bopp comet didn't hit earth when they were expecting it, they "hurried" their next life by committing suicide. But there was one fellow who didn't think it was his time to go, didn't die with the others, and became the spokesperson for those who had died. To this date (as far as I know) he still holds the beliefs of Heavens Gate as true, and still thinks his leader (that old bald guy) is a chosen one. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this.

But, I figure if this guy could be so brainwashed into still believing after most of his group has died by suicide, maybe we're just that brainwashed, too?

Rose

64

The Loving Provision Of Disfellowshipping.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

watchtower, july 15, 1995:.

disfellowshippinga loving provision?.

"holy, holy, holy is jehovah god, the almighty.

misguided

Delilah:

when I was DF'd, they promised to make sure my kids were kept involved and looked after spiritually......NOT!!!!!!! They were never once invited to anything

Same thing here...they've not invited to anything...not even a MEETING! No one ever calls to let them know what time or where the memorial is going to be held, or when the next circuit or district assembly date is.

Rose

17

Excellent article on WT mind control!

by truth_about_the_truth in

jehovah's witnesses .

if you are one of jehovah's witnesses your mind is being controlled by someone else without your knowledge.

mind control - what is it?.

misguided

I "felt" your analysis, and thought it was very profound.

Thank you for sharing your essay with us.

Rose

25

What do you think the main guilt trips are in the jws?

by misguided in

jw
friends

greendawn asked this question at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/94462/1604122/post.ashx#1604122 (hope i did that right).

i think this question deserved a thread of its own.. rose.

i hope that's ok, greendawn.

misguided

Why would you

forsake the privilege of serving Jehovah? (because it doesn't feel like a privilege to me)
give up on the hope of everlasting life? (because I really don't want to live forever, and since I can't seem to live up to your rules, I feel like I don't deserve any reward anyway)
hurt those who love you? (I really don't, but I can't think of any other way to escape the mental anguish I feel)
risk being bloodguilty and sentence your children to destruction? (If that's what a loving god would do)
make a stand for Satan's side of the sovereignty issue (If that's what I'm doing, that's what I'm doing, obviously my heart condition's not good enough to measure up - I mean, that is what you are telling me, right?)
turn your back on a god who loves you (I feel I'm turning my back on a multimillion $ publishing company, not God)
turn your back on Jehovah's loving organizational arrangement (I don't see it as being loving, I see a lot of people hurt from it. This "loving" organization didn't protect me from sexual preditors; rather told me to be obedient to the shepherds, which I did, blindly, naively, stupidly, and this made me a prime candide for their abuse. If you were just able to acknowlege my pain, or appologize for the lack of care, I might be able to "wait on Jehovah." But you seem incapable of that. Too proud? Too arrogant? You'd rather ignore it than even try to quietly find a way to comfort me? I find my pain too great. I find myself feeling crazy, disbelieved, like you think it's my fault. Jehovah either really doesn't care for me, or maybe I'm just to wicked for him to care about. I can't make this feeling go away. It's driving me crazy. I want to die, get it over with, pay the price of my sins. I can't go on, but I've got to. You're not helping me, rather you're telling me to do more, study more, pray more. I'm dying inside. I'm doing what you're saying but it's not working. I've got kids to raise, but I feel like I can't do anything right. "Worldy" people are telling me I'm doing a great job, in spite of all the bad choices I've made thinking they were the "right" choices. I'm giving up, and I think you may be happy about this, for now I'm not going to be a burden on the congregation, bad association, or grieving the holy spirit. I commit spiritual suicide. You tell me in during my committee meetings, "we're trying to determine if you have a wicked heart or if you are just weak." I want you to have Jehovah's spirit to direct you to make the right decision to know whether I am weak or I am wicked. You decide I'm wicked. I cry out, "Jehovah, why have you forsaken me." You disfellowship me. You leave me alone, without friends or family, just me and my 6 kids, and tell me to stay away from "worldy ones," if I want to prove I have a good heart and return. The isolation is a feeling that is too hard to describe. "Worldly" people reach out to me, show unconditional love for me, I can't believe this is Satan's doing. These people are rescuing me from my pain!)

...good grief, I could turn this into a book!

Wow, that was therapeutic. Sorry it got so long.

rose

18

Victims of serious crime?

by greendawn in

jw
friends

were you ever the victim of serious crime such as physical assault, mugging, burglary, arson, big financial fraud, kidnapping, etc?

misguided

My still-involved-with-the-JWs-ex, was convicted of Threatening Conduct & Criminal Harassment.

He got a 30-day sentence and 1 year probation.

25

What do you think the main guilt trips are in the jws?

by misguided in

jw
friends

greendawn asked this question at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/94462/1604122/post.ashx#1604122 (hope i did that right).

i think this question deserved a thread of its own.. rose.

i hope that's ok, greendawn.

misguided

greendawn asked this question at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/94462/1604122/post.ashx#1604122 (hope I did that right)

I think this question deserved a thread of its own.

Rose

P.S. I hope that's ok, greendawn

61

first a publisher, now GF wants me baptized by Sept...

by Buck in

jw
friends

well i made publisher a couple of weeks ago.

i shared that story on here.

but now iam getting pressured into being baptized in september.

misguided

Buck:

Iam getting pressured into being baptized in September.

Listen to yourself. Should anyone be making this serious, life-changing, personal decision for you? I think deep down you know what your answer should be.

Ask ALL your questions now, while you can, because after you'll get the "you shouldn't be asking that question" look, body language, or outright said to you, once you've taken "the plunge."

Just my 2 cents.

Rose

12

i notice there are a lot of new posters from canada here...

by orbison11 in

jw
friends

.

just wondering, any from bc, vancouvr/chilliwack area?.

thanks,,orbi

misguided

me...bet ya already knew that, though

Rose

88

Elder Condemned Me to Death

by Grace in

jw
friends

i have been thinking about this because of another post where the question asks have any of us ever been blackmailed to stay in the watchtower organization.. no, i won't say i was blackmailed; however, after i wrote my note of disassociation, the congregation overseer wanted to visit me in my home with two other elders.

i repeatedly said no, that i would not allow them to chastise me in my own home.

therefore, all of my conversations were over the phone with the overseer.

misguided

I was told that I am murdering my children

I was pretty much told this too...only it was worded that I would be "blood-guilty before Jehovah for my 6 innocent children"

Rose

14

My trip for surgery, being force-fed the "Draw Close to Jehovah" tapes

by misguided in

jw
friends

i had to travel to a town 2 hours away from where i live yesterday.

i'm thankful that my mother actually came to drive me there and back and was supportive in that regard.. however, she insisted on playing her "draw close to jehovah" tapes all the way there and all the way back!

i obliged (with my blood pressure through the roof by the time we got there - thank goodness i was on pain pills all the way home).

misguided

By the time I got there, I just wanted that voice to stop, with all his emphasis put on certain words you just feel the indoctrination tactics going on. Next time, and I hope there isn't a next time. I will take one of my kids CD players (still haven't got one of them I-Pod's, but seriously, I'm going to look into one now)

It was only a day surgery on my leg - it's a little painful, so I've spent most of the time with my leg up, on pain meds (please excuse any illogical thoughts I'm saying today), and spending a lot of time here.

Skully: regards the incest babble in my post. My ex-husband (father of 5 of my kids) has a neice that is also his sister. My ex's father (my children's grandfather) was an elder, both before, during, and then after, he had a baby with his own daughter. He'd been molesting her for as long as she could remember (around 4 she thinks). I've never really looked at this as being biblically approved before, Skully, but why would this have been allowed, and should it still be allowed today?

Rose